How to Use the Ultimate Ability in Apex Legends [Xbox, PS, Switch, PC]

Aaron Donald August 30, 2021

Apex Legends introduces numerous unique heroes, each with their own story and abilities. Knowing your character’s strengths and weaknesses is crucial for victory. It can inflict more damage than any weapon in the game – if used wisely. But first, you need to learn how to initiate this powerful action.

How to Use the Ultimate Ability in Apex Legends [Xbox, PS, Switch, PC]

In this guide, we’ll explain how to use your ultimate ability in Apex Legends on Switch, PS4, and PC. Plus, we’ll list the ultimate abilities of every hero to help you utilize this feature in the most effective way. Finally, we’ll reveal why you may have trouble initiating your ultimate ability.

How to Use the Ultimate Ability in Apex Legends on a Switch

Using your ultimate ability in Apex Legends is simpler than it sounds. To initiate it on a Nintendo switch, follow the steps below:

During the match, wait for a suitable time to initiate the ultimate ability. While it can be used multiple times, each ability has a specific cooldown time to avoid spamming.
To initiate the ability, hit the left and right triggers simultaneously while aiming at the enemy.
Wait for the cooldown to end to initiate the ability again.

How to Use the Ultimate Ability in Apex Legends on a PS4

If you’re playing on a PlayStation4, initiating the ultimate ability is no different than doing it on a Switch. Follow the instructions below:

During the match, wait for a suitable time to initiate the ultimate ability. While it can be used multiple times, each ability has a specific cooldown time to avoid spamming.
To initiate the ability, hit the left and right triggers simultaneously while aiming at the enemy.
Wait for the cooldown to end to initiate the ability again.

How to Use the Ultimate Ability in Apex Legends on a PC

The button for initiating the ultimate ability on a PC isn’t intuitive. As a result, many players struggle to find it. Don’t worry, though. We’ve got your back – follow the steps below:

During the match, wait for a suitable time to initiate the ultimate ability. While it can be used multiple times, each ability has a specific cooldown time to avoid spamming.
To initiate the ability, hit the “Z” button while aiming at the enemy.
Wait for the cooldown to end to initiate the ability again.

FAQ

In this section, you’ll learn about each Apex Legends hero’s ultimate ability and its cooldown. We’ll also list possible issues related to being unable to use the ability.

Why Won’t It Let Me Use My Ultimate Ability in Apex Legends?

Not being permitted to initiate the ultimate ability during the tutorial is a common and well-known bug in Apex Legends. The bug is more persistent on PlayStation and Xbox than on PCs. Thankfully, fixing it is simple. Try to move your hero around the dummy you need to heal. Crouching or standing on a flat ground also reportedly helps to initiate the ability. If nothing helps, restart the game and try again.

What Is Each Hero’s Ultimate Ability in Apex Legends?

Knowing each hero’s ultimate ability is necessary to make a wise choice before the start of the match.

1. Octane’s ability is the Launch Pad. This isn’t the most powerful ability on its own but the increased mobility can be useful for certain strategies. For instance, you can fool the opponent by jumping away at the last second and hitting them from the back. Thankfully, this ability has a relatively short cooldown time of 90 seconds.

2. Rampart’s ability is called Sheila, which places a mounted machine gun with high ammo capacity on a ring for anyone to use. The cooldown time is two minutes, and the ability can be initiated three times during the match.

3. Bloodhound’s ability is Beast of the Hunt. It enhances your senses and speeds up your movement. The ability has a solid three minutes cooldown but can be used unlimited times.

4. Horizon’s ultimate ability, Black Hole, deploys NEWT, creating a black hole that drags heroes into it. Make sure your peers don’t stay too close. Ability’s cooldown is three minutes.

5. Loba can teleport any nearby loot to her inventory using the Black Market Boutique ability. She can then share these items with peers. The ability can be initiated once every two minutes.

6. Lifeline can spawn a pod full of defensive gear for all the team with her Care Package ability. This can only be done every five minutes.

7. Revenant uses the Death Totem ability to drop a totem, defending his peers from death. Each time someone gets killed, they’ll return to the totem. This ability has a three-minute cooldown.

8. Gibraltar uses Defensive Bombardment to release a concentrated mortar strike on a single chosen point. The ability has a four-minute cooldown.

9. Wraith can link two points with portals for a minute to let players teleport. The ability has a three-minute and 30-second cooldown.

10. Crypto uses the Drone EMP ability to release an EMP from a drone, dealing 50 shield damage to enemies, slowing them down, and disabling traps. This powerful ability can be used every three minutes.

11. Seer creates a sphere of small drones that move towards the enemy, firing constantly. The Exhibit ability has a two-minute cooldown.

12. Wattson’s ability is called Interception Pylon. She uses an electrified pylon to destroy incoming ordnance and repair damaged shields of peers. Plus, when Wattson stays next to the pylon, her tactical recharge rate increases. The ability has a three-minute cooldown.

13. Mirage’s Life of the Party is a deceiving trick that involves releasing controllable decoys. This trick can be used every minute.

14. Caustic ability’s name Nox Gas Grenade speaks for itself. While the ability has a three-minute-long cooldown, the gas blanket covers a large area.

15. Bangalore calls in artillery strike using the Rolling Thunder ability. However, the artillery slowly creeps across the landscape rather than rushes right into battle. The cooldown is three minutes.

16. Fuse uses the Motherlode ability to encircle a target area in a firewall. The ability has a two-minute cooldown.

17. Lastly, Pathfinder’s Zipline Gun calls in a zipline that can be used by peers for escaping or moving to another area. This can be used every two minutes.

Use Your Ability Wisely

Now that you know what the ultimate ability of each Apex Legends hero is and how to initiate it, your performance should improve drastically. Keep in mind that pulling out the ultimate ability every few minutes won’t bring you victory. You need to have a clear strategy and communicate it with peers to win.

What’s your favorite hero and ultimate ability in Apex Legends and why? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.